On January 2, 2025, a tragic airstrike by the Israeli military resulted in the deaths of at least 11 people, including the chief of the Hamas-run police force, Mahmoud Salah, and his deputy, Hussam Shahwan. The devastating attack took place in al-Mawasi, near Khan Younis, within the Gaza Strip, where a tent camp was targeted. Among those killed were nine civilians, including three young brothers aged 7, 11, and 13, and two women.
Israel’s military confirmed the strike, alleging that Shahwan had been involved in planning attacks against Israeli forces, labeling him a terrorist. However, the Hamas-run interior ministry condemned the attack, calling it an “assassination” and accusing Israel of exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza by causing further chaos and suffering. The incident is part of a growing wave of violence that has claimed the lives of over 30 individuals in similar Israeli strikes across Gaza in recent days.
The Gaza Interior Ministry has asserted that the police force, which was targeted, is a civilian protection agency that provides essential services to Palestinians. Israel’s military defended its actions, stating that the police force had been involved in suppressing dissent and violating human rights. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Shahwan was responsible for intelligence operations that aided Hamas’s military wing in its efforts against the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).
One of the most heartbreaking aspects of the attack was the death of three brothers who were asleep in their family’s tent when the strike occurred. Their father, Walid al-Bardawil, was devastated by the loss. He shared with the media, “I woke up to the sound of the explosion. I called my three sleeping sons, but no-one answered. They were martyred immediately.”
Eyewitnesses described the shock and horror felt by residents in the area. Aida Zanoun, who lived in a neighboring tent, described the moment of the strike, saying, “We heard an Apache helicopter gunship and then a huge explosion. It felt like an earthquake. The shrapnel reached as far as 100 meters.”
Further strikes in Gaza led to the death of at least six people in the interior ministry’s headquarters in Khan Younis, and additional casualties in other parts of Gaza, including Jabalia, Shati refugee camp, and Deir al-Balah.
Meanwhile, the conditions in Gaza have worsened due to cold and wet weather, with over 1,500 tents flooded by rain and sewage. Families displaced by the ongoing conflict are now facing even more dire living conditions.
This airstrike and the subsequent escalation of violence have added to the already tragic toll on Gaza’s population. Since October 2023, over 45,000 people have died in the region due to ongoing Israeli military operations targeting Hamas, following the group’s attack on southern Israel that killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.
As the situation continues to unfold, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, leaving countless families to mourn their losses and face an uncertain future.
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